If my blog allowed subtitles, this one’s would be “We’re engaged!” The final part of my parents’ stay in China featured me getting down on one knee and asking Beryl to marry me – she said yes! 🙂 I am looking a bit too evil in this photo though… oops!
Some of my friends invited us all out to dinner at a very posh restaurant in town.

Their daughters are very cute! 🙂

Then, one day I arranged for everyone to come out to a meal together. B’s mother was in town, as was her sister, so the two families were together.

during the meal, somebody delivered a cake – what could it be? It’s not my birthday!

Nope – on the cake it was written “Will you marry me?” B opened up the cake, read what it said, and I promptly got down on one knee.

And there’s my teary-eye’d fiancée! PS: Don’t think we were under-dressed, it was a 40’c day!

A few days later, my parents got to see what happens when a little rain hits Weinan.

I’m not sure, but I’m fairly sure water is supposed to go IN drains, not out!

More bursting drains!

Watch your feet!

Then Jackie Chan showed up (on a bus)…

and suddenly water was flowing the right way… DOWN the drains!

I got to introduce my parents to my good friend, and multi-blog-post-appearing Winfred.

And someone must have known my alcoholic parents were in town, as suddenly a beer festival appeared on one of the streets. Well, it would have been rude not to go! Even my mom was drinking the beer. 🙂

As well as strange beers, there were strange foods. And after more than a few of the strange beers, I went and bought some of the strange foods. (There was worse that I didn’t buy… such as taranchulas – but they were too expensive… a 50RMB / 5 pounds for one!) Anyway, my dad was a big girl and wouldn’t eat any of it. I’ve eaten fried maggots, small scorpions and locusts before, and they usually have the same inoffensive taste. (Almost like meaty crisps / potato chips if you’re wondering.) Anyway, the big black scorpion – he was a whole different deal. He tasted like nothing I’d tasted before! The pincers were super hard and crunchy to get through, but the abdomen was really something else. Beyond words!

The next morning (at silly o’clock) my parents got on the minibus to the airport. It was a pleasure to have them, and I hope they’ll come again some time. 🙂

My mom got home and snapped this picture of all their swag! Don’t know how they fit it all in the suitcases!